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No Playoffs for The Sparks, What’s Next?
44 Plays3 months ago
The Sparks are officially eliminated from the playoffs with 5 games left in the season and currently sit LAST in the WNBA with a record of 7-28. We have some great building pieces for next year. The episode focused on how we can finish the season strong and be in a winning position next season.
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sportspodcast , reaction , commentary , basketballb , wnba , lasparks , basketballcommentary , losangelessparks , womenssbasketball , wnbahighlights , espn , wnbanews, wnbapodcast, newpodcast, sportspodcast, podcast
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Transcript
Game Strategies Against Connecticut
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey, Coach DJ from Infinity TV. Ahead of the game against Connecticut, without giving up too much of the game plan, scouting wise, what are some things that we must do today in order to get the W?
00:00:11
Speaker
yeah I think some of the intangibles make um Connecticut and incredibly difficult. is They have six people and double figures. um so you know Marina is coming off the bench for them, but clearly one of the stars of our league and in in a tremendous score. so They have six people who can go score 20 in any night. So they have balance. They do a good job of playing to the player strengths of those six. But the intangibles for us is their number one in the league off of points off of turnovers. So we have to keep our turnovers
Key Areas: Turnovers and Rebounds
00:00:51
Speaker
low. We have not played them poorly either way. We're in that game with a late fourth quarter lead in Boston.
00:00:57
Speaker
But both games we had over 20 turnovers. So that's just, they're so dynamic in transition off turnovers, you gotta keep that low. And then offensive rebounding and second chance points. Second chance points and and and points off turnovers. So they haven't had to run a play yet, you know like and that's almost 40% of their offense.
00:01:20
Speaker
So the intangibles are, can you keep your turnovers low? Can you hold them to one shot and and one and done? um and make them be efficient in their in their half court. Now, um they are as good a team late in the shot clock. They they run as many off ball screens as anyone in the league, um less on ball screens. So the shot clock is constantly winding down and they're really talented a scoring later in the shot clock that last eight seconds. So we've got to be able to sit in the stance and guard for 24 seconds.
00:01:57
Speaker
Because of the way they play, possessions are lower.
Performance and Rankings
00:02:00
Speaker
So it just even um it even highlights even more, you can't waste possessions with turnovers, you can't waste possessions with poor shop selection um because there's less possessions in the Connecticut game than some teams that you play.
00:02:16
Speaker
What's going on, Sparks fans? It's DJ Trece Trece, and welcome back to a brand new episode of The Spark, my personal fan commentary podcast for the LA Sparks. Y'all, the question that you just heard was me before the last game against the Connecticut Sun asking Coach Miller, you know, really drilling down on this matchup, what did we need to do to get the win? He very transparently let us know what we needed to do.
00:02:43
Speaker
And all the things that we needed to do were problems in only the fourth quarter.
Future Prospects and Player Development
00:02:47
Speaker
And this is a recurring theme that we've seen with the Sparks. We've seen ah three solid quarters of basketball in order to keep us competitive. And then one quarter where things just kind of go awry. So we're comfortably sitting outside of the playoffs.
00:03:03
Speaker
last in the WNBA 12th in WNBA with a record of seven in 28 y'all. So not that we're giving up hope for this season, but we're already looking toward what is next. That's the important part y'all. We know, um,
00:03:19
Speaker
Cameron Brink will be back next year healthy. Uh, we already have that confirmed. Rekia Jackson is only getting better. Unfortunately she was in draft class with Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. So things with the rookie of the year kind of just fall. She's comfortably third. Okay.
00:03:36
Speaker
Um, in my opinion, overall basketball wise, she would be number one. She's improved, uh, over the season. She wasn't starting in the starting lineup the first couple of games, but quickly had to move into that.
Team Dynamics and Draft Prospects
00:03:49
Speaker
She's gotten better and better double digit games. You almost can expect a 20 point game, um, every night from her. So Rekia Jackson has been really turning it up. So.
00:03:59
Speaker
Imagine a world where Cam Brink is back healthy. Rekia Jackson is playing better than she's playing now. And then, uh, you got De'Erika Hamby who has a contract extension as well as Azaree Stevens, Stephanie Talbot also got a contract extension. We expect her to be coming off the bench next season. Um, by we, I mean the fans. Okay. Um, I don't think Stephanie is, and And no shade, of course, but the way that she's been described by the coaching staff and and by um members of the media is like the glue of the team. So not really a starting ah role, but definitely an impactful role for the Sparks.
00:04:40
Speaker
Big shots out to Odyssey Sams, came in on hardship, just got announced that she will be ah extended throughout the end of the season on a hardship contract, really giving us some solid minutes. I personally think we need to sign Odyssey. I don't know if anybody from the Sparks organization will watch this show or LA Sparks weekly, the other show that I'm on, but I'm constantly talking about how we need to lock down Odyssey Sams as a great point guard addition. In my opinion, it would be great to see Odyssey Sams as well as Aerie McDonald.
Building a Competitive Team
00:05:11
Speaker
It complicates things. If we get the number one pick in the draft and we get, get page Becker's though, because that would add an interesting mix into the flow, which I will say the sparks have had to losing seasons in a row. The Indiana fever who's doing great right now.
00:05:27
Speaker
had eight losing seasons in order to get that roster that they got right now, in order to get a Caitlin Clark and a Leah Boston, a Kelsey Mitchell, you know, you had to to have some hardship. So we are in prime position to be a playoff contending team next year.
00:05:43
Speaker
It is okay that right now we're not there. De'Erica Hamby hasn't been as hot coming off of the Olympic break, but again, she didn't know she was going to be playing in the three on three Olympics. Um, so she, we can't really ask more of the players who are already doing those things. Leah Rue hope to see her coming back next year. She has really developed her game.
00:06:04
Speaker
especially in that game against Connecticut, it was fun watching her matchup against Bree Jones and just watching them play physical basketball. Again, Lee has a three ball that she can play with. So it's exciting to see what pieces the sparks are going to play with next year. Um, and also what direction coaching is going to take next year with Kurt Miller. He has built some of the greatest teams that that Connecticut sun team that you're seeing. That is a product of coach Miller. He actually, um,
00:06:33
Speaker
Drafted Bree Jones, Deejanae Carrington. All of these players who have materialized in year four and five of being great standout players, he was there at ground zero. So have some patience and give coach some grace.
Season Outlook and Strategies
00:06:46
Speaker
He can't get on the court and play for the players. He only can um really affect them and make sure that they have all the tools that they need to be successful. Looking forward, you know, Tuesday we got Connecticut Sun again at crypto dot.com arena.
00:07:00
Speaker
Wednesday, we're also at home um playing on September 11th, playing the Connecticut sun. I mean, I'm sorry, playing the Seattle storm. Both the Connecticut sun and the Seattle storm are in great playoff position, y'all. They are fighting for their seating position. I don't think they're going to take their foot off the gas anyway. The only wind that I could see us maybe scraping by with five games left in the season would be that Tuesday, September 17th at home game finisher. Hopefully we can close out against the Phoenix Mercury.
00:07:33
Speaker
And squeak by with a win. One more win just ah to give us some nice balance at home. Give the fans a little reward for sticking through all season. So Sparks fans, don't give up hope. Go ahead and renew your season ticket membership as soon as you can, because I'm sure the prices are going to be rock bottom. I'm going from one seat to two seats. So you know I'm locked in for next year.
Closing Remarks and Future Content
00:07:55
Speaker
Excited to see how the ladies play these last five games in the season.
00:08:00
Speaker
thanks So much for listening to the spark, watching the spark for you those of y'all that are joining me on YouTube. We keeping it locked in. I'll keep covers throughout the whole time. And I'm going to do a special, uh, episode coming up with my WNBA finals predictions, a specific episode just for that. Since the sparks are in it, I'll drop it in the spark fee, but it is going to be in video on YouTube.
00:08:23
Speaker
Thanks so much for staying locked in with me. You already know me as DJ and treesy trees. Make sure you follow me on every platform that you can follow anybody on at DJ treesy trees. That's DJ T R I C E Y T R I C E. I'll see y'all next time.